Actress Ama K. Abebrese says the showing of local movies without the approval of filmmakers is preventing the industry from excelling.
According to her, some local television channels have not obtained the legal permit to show the movie, yet they are showing the movie at the expense of movie producers.
Speaking in a recent media interview, Ama revealed how her film, The Burial of Kojo, was aired on TV without permission just a month after it premiered on Netflix in 2019.
“We struggled to make that movie. We didn’t have money, so we raised funds through Kickstarter. Then a TV station showed it without asking us. When I called to complain, the person acted like they didn’t know anything. Then they blocked my number,” she said.
Ama K expressed worry about how the local stations pay for the rights to show foreign contents but we’re not doing the same to help the local filmmakers.
“This has been happening since 2012. Nothing has been done. Some people think they can do anything because they know people in power. In Ghana, the arts are seen as just entertainment. But this is our work, our lives,” she added.
Ama K therefore called on television stations to support the local industry and pleaded for strict enforcement of the laws against piracy, “otherwise the film industry will keep suffering.”
